Direction-signal for vehicles



J. B. RAWLINGS.

DIRECTION SIGNAL'FQR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1919- 1,369,354, Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

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J. B. RAWLINGS.

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1919. 1 5691354. Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

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DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICAI |L D N 2. 919- 1,369,354. E w E 6 Patented Feb. 22,1921.

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wi hzoo UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, Jon B. RAWLINGS', or MEMPHIS, rnnnnssnn.

IRECTION-SIGNAL FOR vEH IcLEs.

I Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jon B. RAWLINGS, a citizen of the Unitedv States, residing. at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and,v useful Improvements in Direction-Signals for Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to direction signals for vehicles such as buggies, wagons,

provision of a signal ofthe character set forth which will be purely mechanical, thereby eliminating electric lights, switches, electro-magnets, and other expensive, easily disarranged and diflicult to install operating devices such as have heretofore been proposed for use in connection with direction signals for vehicles. v k a My improved direction signal contemplates, first, the provision of a signal box or direction indicator so constructed that light deri'ved from the lamps on a car or vehicle which is following the vehicle having my signal, will illuminate my signal and, thus, it becomes unnecessary to use an electric-orother lamp or source of illumination at night for the displayof my signal. On the other hand, during the day time, my signal is [illuminated by sun light and clearly visible.

The principle involved in the illumination of my signal, either by natural light or, the light derived from the lamps on the vehicleiwhich is following the car or vehicle reflecting surface behind it. o The reflecting surfacemay'be a mirror of glass or piece of metal having a reflecting surface, or, the ground glass maybe provided with a mirrored or silvered surfacel Being ground on one side and mirrored on the other side, the glass bearing the signal indications does not reflect a glare but, on the contrary, gives forth a soft light, and thesignal indications stand out plainly in both day time and at night;

'My invention also embodies a signal wherein a m'ain or master door representing ahead, controls doors which cover in dicia or signal means depresenting right and left :so that the normal condition of the normal condition of the signal is that which Specification of Letters Patent. Pate itd Feb 22, 1921.

7 Application filed June 26, 1919. SerialNo. 366L995. I

represents a direct ahead or forward nections may be qu'icl'r'ly'v and installed on any vehicle. The foot cent-m embodies a novel arrangement of parts whereby it is rendered self locking, subject to quick and easy release. In that respect .therelis a ooperative relation between the self-closing master door of the signal and the pedal control. The master door is springactuated and arranged to coo erate with the remaining doors and the pull of the operative con-V nections between the doors and the pedal controls, under the influence of the springactuation of the masteridoo'r, in connection with the peculiar arrangement of sa'id' cOnnections, results in the automatic of the foot contro1s, once they havebeen de pressed. This results in the signal remaining in the condition in which is;set,-unti1 changed by the driver of the vehicle v t The invention is susceptibleof modification in various respects without departing from the general principles thereof, and con sequently the disclosure hereinafter given and which appears in the accompanying drawings, is to be considered as illustrative,

rather than restrictive, of the scope of the invention. I

In the accompanying dr wings, Figure 1 is a plan view v invention with the pedal controls an the signal in their position for use, thei operating cords being broken away and the signal being in normal ahead condition;

Fig. 2 a rear elevation of the signal box in ahead condition; r

Fig. 3 a similar view turn is to be made to the right v Fig. 4 a similar View, show ng the mas ter door and left door raised,.indicating withthe master door and right door raised, indicating that a of the coin l etc "back for its attachment to the vehicle.

3 having slots 4 for the attachment of the number plate or tag. The brackets 2 may be 7 varied'to adapt the device for attachment to different makes of vehicles and automobiles.

, signal indications. headedarrow8 is painted or provided on the The box 1 has an open front 5 and is provided with a ground glass 6 heldby suitable clips or fastening devices 7. The ground glass 6 is provided with suitable indicla or Forinstancaa double ground glass 6 and the letters L and R shown at 9 and 10, respectively, are also provided on the ground glass 6. V

The principle of illumination of my signal is that of reflection. There is provided at theback of the ground glass 6 a reflectinglmedium 11. This may be amirror of glass. or ofbright metal, or any kind of a reflecting back-ground or mirror may be provided onthe ground glass. 6 or 'even'in the rean'ther'eof. I do not limit myself to thapa'rticular construction or embodiment of the reflecting medium which is employed. Itis' within.- the; spirit of the invention to use, ordinary. glass; instead of ground glass, for the. glass plate 6. I prefer ground glass because it reflects the light without any glare and yet the signal indicia 8, 9, 1 0, or, whatever indicia maybe employed, appear very distinctly either in natural light or are brought 'out by rays of light coming from the lamps of a vehiclewhich may be following the vehicle carrying my signal. By

" utilizing reflected light for purposes of. illumination, I obviate the use of lamps or electric lights, I such as have heretofore been employed in connection with car signals and, in the case of electric lights, dispense with switches and wiring systems.

Theopen front 5 and the glass 6 are normally covered by a master door 12 and left and right doors 13 and 14. The master door bears, or may have stenciled or cut 'therein, any suitable word or indication such, for instance, as the word ahead shown at 15, or'ared glass bulls-eye to be used as a tail-light also'lighted by reflection so, that when the doors are closed, a vehicle or car approaching from the rear will know that the car bearing my signal is proceeding It .mayalso be provided with a depending flange down.

directly ahead. Thedoors and 14 cover the indicia 9, 10. 'Themaster door 12 overlaps the doors 13,14 as shown at 15, suitable flanges being provided at the side edges of 1 the door 12. All of the doors are hung on a 'suitable hinge rod 16 carried by ears 17 on the box 1. -A suitably strong spring 18 is coiled around the rod 16 and bears against 'the door 12 at 19 and against thebox 1 at the point 20. The spring 18 keeps the door 12 closed and, with it,'the doors 13 and 14 when the pedals 21 and 22 which control the doors 13 and 14, respectively, are in their raisedposition as shown in Figs.'1 and 7. When the pedal 22 is depressed, as'illustrated in Fig. 6, for instance, the door 14 will be raised and will lift the door12 against the action of the spring 18, but the door 13 will remain down; When the pedal 21 is depressed to'the'position shown in Fig. 6,the door 13 will be raised andwill; lift the door;12, the door then remaining Referring to'Figs. 6, Tand 9, thepedalswhich comprise a stem 23 have a suitable head 24 are slidable through an opening 25 in the foot board 26 of the car or vehicle. Suitable ,wear plates 27,28 connected by bolts 29 are provided. Attached to or formed integral with the plate 28 is a bracket 30 which has an elongatedor' D- shaped slot 31-; The stem 23 has a notch 32. i

When the pedal is depressed, as'shown in" Fig.6, the notch- 32 receives the part 30. of the bracket, thus locking the pedal in depressed position, the cords or small chains and 34 connecting the stems 23 of the respective pedals 21, 22 to the doors 13, 14. These cords run over pulleys or sheaves 35,

36 in each instance andare connected to the stem 23 at 37 and to brackets 38, 39, res ec-' i tively, carried by the doors 13, 14. he pulleys or sheaves 35, 36 are carried by the plate 28 and brackets 39*, respectively. 7

The axes of the pulleys 35 are so arranged that the pull on the cords 33, 34 due to the tension of'the spring 18, draws the stems 23 toward'that side or marginof each of the slots 31 which is shown at 30. Consequently, when the stem 23- is depressed, the notch 32 will immediately lock with the part 30 when it comes into register therewith and the tension of'the spring 18'will maintain this: look arrangement. The doors which are raised will therefore remain in raised position. The tension of the spring. 18 also tends to raise the edals 21, 22to the position shown in Fig. once the looking engagement of the part 30and notch 32 is broken. This engagement of the, notch 32 from the part 30 is readily effected by a slight sidewise kick on the stem 23, where= upon the door 12, whichever of the doors 13, 14 has been raised, will close to the po-' sition shown in F ig; 2. V

The controlling pedals 21, 22 are so ar ranged that they correspond to the indicia denoting turning to the left and to the right, respectively. Consequently, the natural impulse is to press thev pedal 21 when a turn is made to' the left, or to press the pedal 22 when a turn is made to the right.

What I claim is: l

1. In a direction signal for vehicles, direction indicating means adapted to be displayed or covered, comprising operating doors or shutters for covering the right and left indications, a spring-closed master door controlling the display of the ahead indication, said master door engaging the doors first named, independent shiftable pedals, means for locking said pedals, and operative connections between the pedals and the respective operating doors whereby-said doors may be independently opened, said spring-closed master door pulling upon the operative connections aforesaid through the operating doors aforesaid to automatically shift and hold the respective pedals in locked condition when they are operated.

2. In a direction signal for vehicles, the combination with an indicator, and a spring-closed door or shutter therefor, of a depressible controlling pedal having aslidable and laterally shiftable stem provided with means whereby it may be locked when shifted laterally, and an operative connec-'.

tion leading to the stem of the edal, said operative connection being. applied so that it will laterally shift and hold the pedal in locked condition by the pull of the springclosed door thereon when the pedal is depressed.

3. In a direction signal for vehicles, the combination with an indicator, and a v spring-closed door or shutter therefor, of a depressible controlling pedal having a slidable and laterally shiftable stem provided with means whereby it may be locked when shifted laterally, and a flexible operative In testimony whereof I affix my signav ture.

Jon B. RAWLINGS. 

